See what you need to be ready to do...and what Managers want to see.

Let me list what positions need what attributes:

Catcher- Needs to be a very loud, aware take charge guy; May be even the smartest and most baseball-knowledgeable player on your team. You can't have a slow catcher, he must be agile and quick. If not, sooner or later it will come back to haunt you.

1st baseman- Also can't be very slow or it will hurt you. He must be able to cover some ground as more infield errors occur from bad throws than missed balls!

2nd baseman- Quick hands and quick feet. Doesn't have to be very big so he needs to be able to make contact at the plate especially if he is small and doesn't bring too much pop with the bat.

Shortstop- The leader of your infield and very quick and hopefully, fast. If he can't cover the whole left side of the infield, than he should be a 2nd baseman. Should be very athletic and maybe your leadoff or #2 hitter.

3rd baseman- Strong arm, doesn't have to be the quickest but should be able to cover the line because your shortstop will cover to his left if he can't reach it. The older the player, the more he is looked at as a power guy.

Left Fielder- Should be able to charge in very well because he needs to play deeper than most of your outfielders due to so many right-handed pull hitters. Doesn't need the best arm but couldn't hurt.

Center Fielder- Good to great arm, should be one of the best and quickest athletes on your team. If he can't cover much ground, don't pick him or put him in left or right if he has a superior arm. He gives the corner outfielders confidence. Remember. the game is won "Up the Middle"!

Right Fielder- Big arm, needs to make the longest throws on the field. Again, the older the player, the more he is expected to hit for power. Doesn't need great speed, covers limited amount of ground.

Our Tryouts Consist Of:


Outfielders - Any player who thinks he might be an outfielder goes to right field. We hit them fly balls and they throw to 3rd base and then home. We measure velocity. We look for ability to judge fly balls, arm strength and accuracy.

Infielders - Any player who thinks they are a 3B, SS or 2B goes to the shortstop position. We hit them a series of ground balls (at them, right, left and slow rollers) and they throw to first base. Again we measure velocity. We look for ability to field ground balls, athleticism, arm strength and accuracy.

First Basemen - We do the same for these guys except they are stationed at first base and throw to third base

Catchers - We put them behind the plate and get a glove to glove stopwatch time on throws to second base. We look for timing and accuracy. We put them behind the plate during the hitting tryouts and pitching tryouts to judge their ability to receive pitches.

Pitchers - We are simply looking for arm motion, especially players who don't "shortarm" the ball. Obviously accuracy and velocity are a factor.

Hitters - We watch swing mechanics. We don't care if they touch the ball or not. Do your swing mechanics show that you have the ability to be a potential hitter  show you can hit to onsite field hit deep fly balls and when hitting hit the ball hard

 
2019 INFORMATION (1/8/19)

The NWIBL (Northwest Independent Baseball League) is a organization dedicated to playing the game of baseball on the best fields and with the best umpires available to us. We have been in existence since 2009 and are comprised of 14-18 teams from the Portland and Vancouver regions. Teams are made up of all levels of players including former high school, college and professional baseball players, 18 years of age or older. We believe in "giving something back" to the community and hold Fund raisers during season ($10 for each HR to JDRF and during the All-Star game dollars for hits and runs for Team in Training) Our League is governed by the an Game Management made up from team managers and operated by the League Director. We also have Committees that handle Rules, Appeals, Disciplinary issues, and other issues on an ad hoc basis.

NEW PLAYERS:
If you are wondering "where do I fit in?"; we suggest that you check out our schedule and see some of our games. It COSTS you NOTHING to join our Free Agent (Pool) list, and by signing up your INFO will be available to ALL of our managers. Signing up for the Free Agent (Pool) list online is simple: just click the 2019 Player Registration Form and fill out the form. If you get picked up by a team, great! If not, you will be posted on the Free Agent page and available to play for any team. (If you do play there is a $15 charge for Accident insurance).


Player fees: New players pay a team fee set by the manager..


Player fees existing players: Team managers, on behalf of the League collect each player's share of the Team Fee; usually dependent on roster size. The typical cost per player is roughly $350 for a team of 15 players for the season, which includes umpire fees, insurance, field fees, etc. Free Agent players typically pay a $15.00 fee...Plus a 1 time insurance fee of $15.00


18+ Season length is 20 Games and  30+ and 40+ is 16 Games  for regular season play. Playoffs are additional games for teams that qualify and no additional cost.

Included are the Home Run Derby, All-Star Game, Playoffs, and Championship Games (for players/teams that qualify).

Playoffs consist of the teams playing in a bracket elimination tournament. Both Divisions play Double Elimination.

Players must play 25% of season league games to be qualified for playoffs.

Top each Division winning team receive league Championship Trophy or Plaques.

We also have awards for Offensive Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, Rookie of the Year and Sportsman of the Year.

Players qualify to play tournaments. Check out the Tournaments page for dates.

Player registration ends July 15 each Year. Players in the Free Agent pool are still available to play but not qualified for playoffs unless they have played in 5 league games for the same team.

OPENING DAYS:  First Saturday in May Tentative based on Weather and Field Availability

No games scheduled for Mothers Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July or Labor Day weekends.

MINIMUM AGE: TO PLAY, YOU MUST HAVE REACHED AGE 18 BY 8/31 of the playing year

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More Questions...Q & A

How old do I have to be to play in the NWIBL?

As long as you turn 18 years of age before 8/31 of the current year you are eligible to play in the NWIBL.
For the 30 Plus Division you must be 30 by 12/31/of the playing year

How long has the NWIBL been in existence?
The Northwest Independent Baseball League started in 2009 with 10 teams. Now in our 10 Year and 11 Season

How many teams play in the NWIBL?

The 18+ NWIBL is currently comprised of 14-18 teams from the Portland OR and Vancouver Wa area..

The 30+ NWIBL is currently comprised of 4-8 teams from the Portland OR and Vancouver Wa area..
The 40+ NWIBL is Must Be comprised of 4-8 teams from the Portland OR and Vancouver Wa area..
How do I join a team?

There are several ways to join a team. The easiest way is to know a current player and, if you are good enough, tryout for their team. If you do not know any players in the league you can submit your information via the link titled "2010 New Player Registration Form" on the top of the home page. Submitting your information will send an email to all of the league Director who will contact you to learn more about your abilities. There is also a League Draft in which New Players may be added to teams in need of more players (we try to place everyone on a team but we do have the right to place you in the Monday night league if we feel that you need more practice, we do not want to place anyone in harms way and want all player to be able to protect themselves at all times while playing). Typically 50-70 players are added to teams each season using through this method.

How often do you play and how long is the season?

Games are usually played on weeknights after 7 PM With Lights and weekends starting at 10AM  The 2014 season begins May 4. The playoffs begin in August. Each team plays an 20 game regular season schedule including 3-4 double-headers.

How much does it cost to play?

Players Drafted will pay a League fee of $350.

The returning player fees vary from team to team. Typically it is between $275-$350 dollars per year, per player. This fee covers costs like team bats, uniforms, other equipment, Umpires and certain league expenses like insurance. Some teams are able to obtain sponsors to help defray costs, some hold fundraisers. Some teams play approved extra road games outside the league. All teams request payment up front.

All Player and Team fees must be paid by Mid May

Teams who have not paid the team fees will be held out at the start of the season...no games until paid. Games missed will be forfeited.


What do the uniforms look like?

Most teams have uniforms similar to major league baseball teams.

What do I need to play?

All you need is a glove, a pair of spikes/cleats (metal preferred) (Luke Jensen in Vancouver is Turf so no metal cleats allowed), a good attitude, and the desire to play baseball. We play with wooden bats only so if you have a favorite bat you need that too. If you need a bat you may want to considered an approved composite wood bat...The league is a dealer for Baum, Brett Brothers, MacDougall, Haag, and KR3 these bats have a 3-6 month warranty and team managers can get a good discount for you ...see here woodbats4sale.com

How fast is the pitching?

Most pitchers in the league have fastballs between 70-85 MPH however there are some pitchers that can top out in the high 80's in the upper division. Lower division pitchers throw between 60-75 MPH but every team has at least one pitcher who can bring it.

What positions are most in demand?

All positions are in demand however good pitchers and catchers are particularly hard to come by.

What if I want to submit an entire team?

If you are interested in starting your own team or already have a team and you would like to join the NWIBL please contact the league by March 15th to enter your team  Duane Wangenheim League Director 503 208 2009 or Baseball@NWIBL.ORG Here is the process.....

1. A formal submission must be made in writing to the NWIBL march 15 of the year that a team would like to compete. The written submission shall provide the following information: a) Team Name b) Team Manager and Contact Information c) Initial Roster of 15 players must be submitted. Additional players can be recruited before the season. e) Background on team and manager i.e. played together in another league, newly formed team, etc.

2. A Team deposit of $800 must be submitted with your application. This deposit will be refunded if the team is not allowed into the league following a vote by the NWIBL Board.

3. Cost - The estimated team league cost is 18 Plus Teams $4950 and 30 Plus Teams $4500. This cost includes insurance, Umpires, Fields, Baseballs and certain league related administration costs (Liability insurance, website, field maintenance etc.).

This cost does not include: a) Uniforms. Player Equipment, Practice Baseballs (we will provide you with discounted options.

4. New managers and players must be familiar with the NWIBL By-Laws.

5. Once all of criteria are met the managers will vote for acceptance of new team at the April meeting where a majority vote will decide.

Where are NWIBL games played?

Games are played at Sckavone and Walker Stadiums here in SE Portland, T-Hills Beaverton, Luke Jensen in Vancouver, Volcanoes Stadium,  a few games may be played at local High School or College fields.

What about playoffs?

Playoffs begin last 2-3 weeks in August for 18+ and Mid August 30+ Mid Septemberand consist teams playing in a bracket elimination tournament. Double Elimination Format. Players must play 25% of league regular season games to be eligible to participate in the playoffs. Season ends the last weekend before Labor Day

How competitive is the league?

The Columbia Division is HIGHLY COMPETITIVE. The Willamette  Division is experienced. Players in the NWIBL have baseball experience ranging from high school to a stint in the Major Leagues and every level in-between. The competition is solid but we all realize that we need to go to work the next day.

Play Hard, Play to Win, Play for Fun and Be Safe. 503-208-2009  Baseball@nwibl.org  Register and have a Team Try Out for 2017 Summer

 New for 2015 30 and older Clackamas Division (teams welcome) Adult players 30and older
Good Adult Competitive Teams Wanted Players Born before December 31, 1985 sign up now